The Wisconsin SeriesOhio State has won three of the last five meetings with the Badgers and has two victories in the last three in Columbus. Overall, the Buckeyes own the series lead with an 83-66 record and are 52-22 in games played in Columbus. As a ranked team, Ohio State is 21-11 in the Wisconsin series. Junior Deshaun Thomas leads Ohio State against the Badgers with an average of 10.5 points per game over four career meetings. He also is Ohio State's rebound leader with 3.5 boards a game among current Buckeyes. Both Thomas and classmate Aaron Craft have made better than half their shots in the series. Thomas is shooting 56 percent (18-32) while Craft knocks down 52 percent of his shots (11-21) in the series.

A Look at the BadgersWisconsin enters the game with the Buckeyes with an overall record of 14-6 and a Big Ten Conference mark of 5-2. The Badgers opened league play with four wins in a row before dropping games at Iowa and to Michigan State in Madison. Minnesota fell at the Kohl Center last Saturday 45-44. Jared Berggren (12.0 ppg.), Ryan Evans (10.9 ppg.) and Ben Brust (10.4 ppg.) all contribute double figures offensively for the Badgers. Evans leads the team with 7.8 rebounds a game.

Thomas Leads B1GJunior Deshaun Thomas has reached 20 or more points in five of seven Big Ten Conference regular-season games. He reached 20 or more in the first five games of the league season, a first since Jim Jackson had a five-game 20-point scoring streaks during both his junior (1992) and sophomore (1991) seasons. The last Ohio State player with a string of 20+ scoring games in six or more league games was Dennis Hopson, who amazingly reached at least 20 points in 17-consecutive Big Ten games to end the 1987 season. Including a non-conference game vs. Florida International and two NCAA tournament games, Hopson ending his career on a streak of 20-consecutive games with at least 20 points scored. The last Ohio State player to score more than 20 points in five-consecutive games was Michael Redd, who posted a streak of nine-consecutive 20+ scoring games during his freshman season in 1997-98. Thomas has scored 20 or more in 10 games this season and in 22 career games (3-2010-11, 9-2011-12, 10-2012-13). He has reached 20 points in 11 games vs. league foes, including twice in Big Ten tournament play.

DID YOU KNOW?: Deshaun Thomas is one of three players nationally averaging more than 20 points and 6 rebounds. The others are Creighton's Doug McDermott and VMI's Stan Okoye. At Ohio State, the last to do so were Evan Turner in 2009-10 and Michael Redd in 1997-98.

Ohio State In the Big TenThe Buckeyes are No. 2 in scoring defense (57.8 ppg.), No. 3 in field goal percentage defense (.379), scoring margin (15.2 ppg.), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.307) and turnover margin (+2.7) among Big Ten teams. Individually, Deshaun Thomas leads the conference in scoring with 20.0 points per game and made 3s per game with 2.6. Aaron Craft (4.7) rates No. 2 in assists per game and steals (2.0). Shannon Scott is No. 2 in assist to turnover ratio (+3.5). Craft is No. 3 in the league (+2.6).

101 Years in Big TenOhio State celebrates 101 years as a member of the Big Ten Conference in men's basketball in 2013. The Buckeyes finished in the No. 6 spot in the 1913 conference standings, the first season of league play. Over the 100 previous seasons, Ohio State has earned 20 Big Ten regular-season titles with 24 NCAA tournament appearances, one national championship (1960) and 10 trips to the Final Four. Eight former coaches and players are members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame while nearly 50 student-athletes have been drafted by National Basketball Association teams, including 23 in the first round.

VOTE Thad MattaThad Matta is one of 48 Division I coaches participating in the third annual Coaches' Charity Challenge, a fan-vote challenge, with the total contributions exceeding $300,000. Matta won the challenge a year ago, earning $100,000 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio. He is once again supporting RMHC. Fans can vote once a day for the next eight weeks: VoteCoachMatta.com.

Craft Among Cousy Top 20 CandidatesAaron Craft, a junior guard for the Buckeyes, is among the candidates for the 2013 Bob Cousy Award, presented annually to the top point guard in the country. The list of more than 80 nominations was cut to 20 around Jan. 10. Ten finalists will be announced near Feb. 1 and a final five March 1. The winner will be announced at the 2013 Final Four weekend.

Ohio State Vs. the Big TenOhio State is in its 101st season as a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes own an overall record of 744-670 against current league members. Thad Matta, in 13 seasons as a head coach, owns an overall record of 122-49 vs. league members, including a mark of 118-47 record while coaching the Buckeyes. Ohio State is 83-66 vs. Wisconsin all-time. Thad Matt is 9-10 vs. the Badgers.

MilestonesAaron Craft: Reached 700 career points with 10 vs. Chicago State (768)...reached 400 career assists with eight vs. UNC Asheville ... his 448 career total rates No. 4 all-time at Ohio State, passing Mark Baker with three helpers at Illinois. Curtis Wilson is No. 3 with 475 ... has at least one steal in 14-consecutive games ... is shooting 82 percent from the foul line (41-50) this season, up from 71 percent as a junior ... a career 74 percent foul shooter (197-267) ... has more career steals (209) than turnovers (197) ... owns Ohio State career record for steals (209) after recording four thefts vs. Iowa Jan. 22 ... just the second Buckeye in history (Jay Burson-204) to record 200 career thefts. Evan Ravenel: Scores at a 55 percent clip in two seasons as a Buckeye (94-170) and 57 percent this year (48-85)...set a career high with 10 rebounds vs. Chicago State.LaQuinton Ross: Makes 77 percent of his foul shots (27-35) this season. Shannon Scott: Scored career-high 15 points vs. Kansas to go with six rebounds, which tied a career best ... has 81 assists this season after handing out 60 as a freshman ... just 23 turnovers have been charged to him this year.Lenzelle Smith Jr.: Connected on 5 of 7 3-pointers vs. Nebraska, a career-best for long range makes in a game ... grabbed 10 rebounds at Purdue Jan. 8 and repeated that effort vs. Michigan Jan. 13, the first time in his career with back-to-back double digit rebound games (3 career).Deshaun Thomas: Reached 400 career rebounds with 10 vs. UNC Asheville, added seven boards vs. Iowa (463) ... 200 of his career boards have come on the offensive end ... moved into the No. 30 spot in career scoring with 28 at Michigan State (1,277) ... has 20 or more points in five Big Ten games this season ... Jared Sullinger is No. 29 in OSU career scoring with 1,282 points ... Thomas is shooting 81 percent at the line this year (54-67).Amir Williams: Of his 72 rebounds this year, half (37) have been on the offensive end ... 64 of his career 134 boards have been a teammate's missed shot ... has made 62 percent of his field goals this year (26-42) and is shooting 58 percent for his career (45-78).